Syria Facts

Where is Syria?
Syrian Arab Republic is located in Western Asia. It shares its borders with Lebanon and Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordon to the south, and Israel to the southwest. Its geographic coordinates are 32 38N, 35 43E.

What is the capital of Syria?
Damascus is the capital of Syria. It is located in southwestern Syria. Known as a major cultural and religious center, the city was first settled in 2nd millennium BC. It is the seat of the central government and all government ministries. It was chosen as the Arab Capital of Culture for 2008.

How big is Syria?
Syria is the 88th largest country in the world. It covers an area of 71,479 square miles and has an estimated population of 22,717,417.

What is the currency of Syria?
The Syrian Pound is the currency of Syria. Its ISO 4217 code is SYP and is subdivided into 100 qirsh. The currency is issued by the Central Bank of Syria.

Which is the largest city of Syria?
The largest city in Syria is Aleppo. It is also the largest city in the Levant. It covers an area of 73.4 square miles and has an estimated population of 2,301,570. It lies 45 kilometers east of the Syrian-Turkish border. Its geographic coordinates are 36 13N, 37 10E.

What is the official language of Syria?
Arabic is the official language of Syria. Apart from Arabic, Kurdish, English, French Armenian, and Turkish are also spoken.

What is the religion of Syria?
Syria is predominantly a Muslim state: 87% of the population is Muslim. Christian and Druze are the religious minorities in the country, constituting 10% and 3% of the population respectively.

What is the literacy rate of Syria?
The adult literacy rate in Syria is 90.7% for males, while it is 82.2% for females.

Who is the political leader of Syria?
Syria is a single-party state. Syrian government is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The executive branch comprises the president, two vice president, the prime minister, and the Council of Ministers. Bashar al-Assad is the current President of Syria. He assumed office on July 17, 2000.

When is the National Day of Syria celebrated?
The national day of Syria is celebrated on April 17. This day commemorates Syria's freedom from France. A treaty of independence was negotiated by Syria and France in September 1936. Since the French Legislature refused to ratify this treaty, it never came into force. Syria proclaimed its independence in 1941, but it was only in 1944 that it was recognized as an independent republic. By 1946, French troops had left the place.

What is the economy of Syria like?
The economy of Syria is a diversified economy. It is dependent on agriculture, oil, industry, and tourism. In 2010, the GDP of the country was 59.33 billion, while its GDP per capita was $4,800. Services sector accounts for 55.8% of the GDP, followed by industry: 26.8%, and agriculture: 17.6%. Unemployment rate stands at 8.3%, while 11.9% of the population lives below poverty line. Major industries include petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, car assembly, and phosphate rock mining. Major trade flows are with China, Iraq, Germany, Egypt, Lebanon, Italy, South Korea, and Russia.